Cycling in Malaysia, The Cobra

Although I am living in Sitiawan in Perak, one of the states on the west
coast of Malaysuia, I don't see many cobra's. I do a lot of cycling in
Malaysia and when this story happened it was time to leave. My 3 months
tourist visa was ending and I had to leave. Thailand is the nearest
country so I decided to cycle to Butterworth, take the train to Hat
Yai and then cycle back via Yala and Betong (elsewhere I have described
what to see on that road).

Cobras are common in Asia but I have seen them seldom

By the time this story starts, I was already a while on the road
(I had taken my time). The day had started in Kuala Kangsar. Now it
was time to leave the Royal City and go back home, another 90km or so away.

Around Bruas

The road swindles around the hills to Manong and further towards Bruas.
It's a very pleasant ride. When I was approached Bruas I decided to take a shortcut.

I had a local Perak provincial map which I had bought in Ipoh. The map
showed me a road parallel from the usual I took from Bruas down south.

Snakes are hard to get on the photo but this is NOT the cobra of the story!
This one I found on the road to the Turtle Hacthing Station near Segari

According to the map the road seem to be good enough for
cycling, maybe a small path, but a path.

So I took it. And it was a very good road, at least for the
first 5 km and with another 20 to go I knew it would be hard on
dirt paths. But I had little luggage with me so what the heck!
I went into the hills and in no time I was lost in a cluster of
dirt paths and sand holes. Obviously there were no signs, houses,
no people, no NOTHING except sand paths and hills surrounding me.
It was beautiful and I really enjoyed every moment of it.

And in that moment I wasn't paying attention. At the very
last moment I saw it! A brown cobra. My front wheel ran over it.
Immediately the cobra jumped up. His (or her?) neck swell up and I could
see very clear the "eye" in his neck.

Blue Coral Snake in the jungle of Teluk Batik

The cobra came at least half a meter from the ground but fled
away in the bush. The whole thing had not taken more then a few
seconds. By the time the rear wheel could have run over the cobra,
the animals had already disappeared, unhamred.

A few years later I would have a similar experience with this
amazing animal, only that time the snake would be driven over by
a car and still escape! Don't forget, snakes have no bones (except
in the head), it's all muscles.

Cobra's and other snakes like Boa's) are common in Malaysia but rarely
seen unless you move to rural areas. Sometimes they can be found in villages
and towns too but, as a I said, it happens seldom. It was a rare luck to
see one here in the wild. But that said, you CAN find them on lesser used
roads and drit paths or in plantations.

Monitor lizards or Biawaks are common,
I made this photo in a living area in Penang

Meanwhile my problems were not over. On the contrary, I
was lost in the Bruas Forest Reserve. Paths were all over but I had clue
which one to take. So choose the biggest following the rule that the
biggest path usually the main path is.

I choose the wrong one and for a while I was drifting
through the hills, sometimes walking and even carrying my bike. I had no
choice, go back. But again, that was easier said then done.

Bugs like these can be found all over in Perak

Luck is always there when you need is, it seems. I found
the main trail back (but not the cobra!) and cycled back to the main road.
In an abandoned village I found water. I showered (yes, literally) which
gave me fresh energy and cycled to the main asphalt road. Done about 25
extra kilometers in the wild and nothing further, that was the conclusion.
However, it was beautiful there.

I went straight to Bruas, followed the road straight south for 20 km.
Nice and quiet until this road met the main road that connects Ipoh and
Sitiawan. What it means? Busy! But from here it was only 17 km more back
home and with the wind in the back it wasn't a problem.

A few years later I would try again to cross the hills, now I was able
to find a path that would cross the hills but it wasn't an easy path and
certainly not legal (I had to cross into a private plantation).